It is
estimated that a quarter of the population of Wales speak Welsh as naturally as they do
English - and there are a few thousand people who speak Welsh only. The basic vocabulary
of present-day Welsh is Celtic, but it includes a sprinkling of Latin and English. It is a
lyrical-sounding language, but very tongue-twisting for outsiders. The Welsh alphabet
omits the consonants j, k, q, v, x, and z. It has the one 'f' (pronounced 'v') and adds a
double 'ff' (pronounced as the ordinary English 'f'); a double 'dd' (pronounced as 'th' in
'then'); a double 'll' (almost impossible for an outsider pronounce correctly; to get near
to the sound, put the tongue at the back of the roof of the mouth and say 'hl').

Saying HelloThe first thing you should know how to say in Welsh is "Hello".

Helo! - this is how you say
"Hello" to your friends.

Bore da. - this is how you say
"Good morning" to someone.

Noswaith dda. - this is how you say
"Good evening" to someone.

Croeso. - "Welcome"

Saying Goodbye

Hwyl or Hwyl fawr - means
"Goodbye, have fun".

Da boch - is another way of saying
"Goodbye".

Diolch - "Thank you"

Saying
Goodnight

Nos da - you only say this last
thing at night.

How are you?

Helo, sut wyt ti? - this is how you
greet someone and ask how they are.

This list shows the
different ways of saying how you are.

yn dda iawn - very well

yn dda - well

yn weddol - fairly well

dim yn dda - not well

yn wael - poorly

yn ofnadwy - terrible

Numbers

1 = un

2 = dau/dwy

3 = tri/tair

4 = pedwar/pedair

5 = pump

6 = chwech

7 = saith

8 = wyth

9 = naw

10 = deg

11 = undeg un

12 = undeg dau

13 = undeg tri

14 = undeg pedwar

15 = undeg pump

16 = undeg chwech

17 = undeg saith

18 = undeg wyth

19 = undeg naw

20 = dauddeg

21 = dauddeg un

22 = dauddeg dau

23 = dauddeg tri

24 = dauddeg pedwar

25 = dauddeg pump

26 = dauddeg chwech

27 = dauddeg saith

28 = dauddeg wyth

29 = dauddeg naw

30 = trideg

40 = pedwardeg

50 = pumdeg

60 = chwedeg

70 = saithdeg

80 = wythdeg

90 = nawdeg

100 = cant

You count the 30's,
40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's in the same way as 20-29

Place Names

Welsh
place names, often mystifying at first, become easier to understand when it is realised
that they are often made up by joining together a number of separate word elements. When
the word 'bryn', for exaple, appears in a place-name it usually denotes a hill; 'llyn' a
lake; and 'ynys' an island.